acoustic

Technically this is two recommendations. Top of the Lake is a mini series about crime and corruption in a small, mountainous New Zealand town starring Mad Men‘s Elisabeth Moss. It’s on Netflix, so if you haven’t watched it yet, do it. Anyway, in one episode there’s a scene of all the characters gathered around a campfire as they sing an acoustic cover of Björk’s “Joga.” I’m a huge Björk fan, so I usually despise most covers because they’re terrible (example: 30 Seconds to Mars’ cover of “Hunter”–yikes), but this stripped-down version is actually quite good. Using only vocals and guitar, Kay’s version harnesses all the emotion of the original without the need for Björk’s bombastic production. So to recap, Top of the Lake: watch it. Björk covers: not always terrible.

I first discovered Hundred Waters when they opened for Julia Holter back in 2011/2012. I was standing in a room of disinterested Brooklynites chugging down IPAs, who couldn’t be any less interested in any of the opening acts that night. But as soon as Hundred Waters took the stage, they grabbed everyone’s attention with this enchanting energy that put everyone in a trance. Weirdly enough, after their performance, lead singer Nicole Miglis shyly confessed it was their first gig. Everyone was stunned. For 45 gorgeous minutes these nobodies played like seasoned pros. I became an instant fan.

Hundred Waters has grown a lot over the years, transforming from shy, unknown Floridians to being featured in Super Bowl commercials. Their song “Show Me Love,” which appears on The Moon Rang Like a Bell, was featured in Coca-Cola’s anti-bullying ad. To capitalize on the publicity, they released this acoustic version of the track to entice new listeners. Although it’s not their strongest song, it’s the perfect introduction for new fans. For the curious, here’s the original.